This is regarding enhancing the ceiling
limit of landline & CUG mobile of IPASP in Karnataka Circle, the existing
limit is Rs 469/- of landline and Rs 386/- for CUG. This has been discussed
with the respected madam and madam assured that, it has to be enhanced to next
higher level as the minimum rent charges are enhanced. But now, all IP ASPOs of
Karnataka Circle are disheartened by withdrawing residence landline vide above
reference letter.

Madam
is well aware that Karnataka Circle is in top position in the business
activities and technology issues. All the business activities & technology
issues require more communication with subordinates and higher authorities. So
far the residential landline provided is being utilised by the IPASPs for communication
and well as for data purpose for official use and the bill amount above the
ceiling limit was being credited by the officers to the Dept.

Now
it is very crucial period for implementation of Rural ICT and stabilisation of
all the CBS and Mc Camish issues. The officers/officials are struggling hard to
complete the day to day work due to network and server issues. Moreover, as per the CO letter No
ITP/1-2/2016 dated 29.2.2016, there are instructions to form IT Operation team
at DO level comprising all the Sub Divisional Heads and ASPs for escalation and
review of IT functioning in the field level. Withdrawing the residential telephone
at this crucial juncture in nothing but demoralising the IPASP cadre officers.

All the members of this association are very
disappointed with the above referred order. On behalf of all the members of
this association, it is requested to issue necessary corrections/instructions
to above cited letter and enhance the
ceiling limit of land line to Rs 601/- and CUG ceiling limit to Rs 500/- to assure
better communication facility to increase the productivity and for the welfare
of the cadre of IPASP.

Inconsistency is
being noticed in access of Finacle/Mccamish for last 20 days and issue is
alarming for last three days and might continue till 31.03.2016. Directorate already circulated contingency plan
to do transactions offline and upload the same at the end of the day.

Chief PMG while
apologizing the inconvenience to the general public has understood the
difficulty being faced by the Postal staff across the counters. However, CPMG
suggested all the staff not to loose patience and advised all counter PAs
to be polite and explain the situation. Counter staff suggested to put up
notice at the counter with caption"Server down" and should not
leave the counter and accept all possible transactions through offline
mode(BCP).

Please arrange to display
copies of email sent by the office to CPC and their reply. Staff are
suggested don't get panic/angry and try to be as accommodative as
possible. Please Make available chairs/drinking water in Public
hall. If somebody wants to know when the system will start, Please, note
down their number and call or send them a message when the system starts.

The competent authority has taken following decisions for executing End of Year (EOY) activities for 2015-16 in CBS Post Offices/CPCs:-

1. On 1.4.2016, no CBS Post Office will do any transaction but staff working on CBS will attend post office and follow instructions (as and when ) issued by CEPT Team Chennai.

(A public notice should be put on the notice board of all CBS Post Offices that due to End of Year, no transaction will be accepted on 1.4.2015 and Monthly/Quarterly Interest of MIS/SCSS if due on 1st April 2016 will be paid on 2.4.2015)

2.CBS Post Offices should ensure that no unverified account or modification in accounts of SB/PPF/SSA/NSS-87/NSS-92 remains unverified as interest is not calculated for any account if any modification is unverified. Concerned staff should be alerted so that such lapses may be avoided.

3. All CBS Post Offices, on 31.3.2016, should do transactions latest up to 1700 hours and verify all the transactions simultaneously so that there may be no Blocking transaction at 1700 hours. All CBS Post Offices should complete HISCOD latest by 1800 hours and CPC should complete HSCOD latest by 1900 hours. Any blocking validation should be reported to FSI Helpdesk and CEPT Team immediately on noticing so that solution can be provided well in time.

5. CBS Head Post Office dealing with clearing house, should intimate cheque clearing intimation of the cheques cleared on 31.3.2016 to other linked CBS HOs and SOs well in time on 31.3.2016 either over mail or phone so that credit/debit can be afforded well in time.

(please note that in case of PPF Accounts maturing on 31.3.2016, cheque cleared before 31.3.2016 will not be allowed to be credited after 31.3.2016)

6. Reports regarding Interest credited in SB/SSA/PPF/NSS-87 and NSS-92 accounts of a CBS post office, Silent Account maintenance Fee charged and Total number of accounts marked as silent (total amount and accounts for a Post Office and not account-wise) will be intimated through CPCs by the end of first week.

Instructions for CPCs

1. CPCs should call post offices under their jurisdiction on 31.3.2016, help in clearing blocking validations and ensure smooth completion of HISCOD/HSCOD.

​

2. 2nd and 3rd menu of EOD will be executed by CEPT Team when HSCOD is completed for all CBS post offices.

3. All CPCs will remain open during the night of 31.03.2016 and duties of staff should be notified in shifts.

Circles/Regions/Divisions should ensure that these instructions are followed scrupulously by all CBS Post Offices, CPCs.

1. What is eNPS ?

eNPS is an on line platform provided by NPS Trust for enabling individuals to open his/her Individual Pension Account under NPS (Tier-I & Tier-II) and also facilitate the new or existing subscribers to make initial or subsequent contributions respectively to their Individual Pension Account under NPS using net banking and debit/credit cards. eNPS does not facilitate enrolment of individuals under Atal Pension Yojana.

2. How can I open the Individual Pension Account under NPS online?

An individual can open his/her Individual Pension Account under NPS by choosing any one of the following alternatives and having net banking facilities enabled with his/her bankers :-

Option # 1 by providing Aadhaar details.

Option # 2 by providing PAN details and KYC details as recorded with the Bank in which he/she maintains his/her bank account and that Bank is empanelled in eNPS.

3. How Aadhaar details are processed for online opening of the Individual Pension Account under NPS?

An individual opting to open the online Individual Pension Account using Aadhaar details must have his/her mobile number registered with Aadhaar because after providing the Aadhaar number in the eNPS portal, a One Time Password (OTP) needs to be generated from Aadhaar which is sent to his/her mobile number registered with Aadhaar for authentication purposes.

On authenticating the OTP received from Aadhaar in the eNPS portal, the individual’s KYC details (demographic and photograph) as recorded with Aadhaar database gets auto populated on the online application form. Only the photograph is allowed to be replaced/substituted in the online application form if he/she desires to upload a different photograph.

Other mandatory fields are required to be filled compulsorily for completing the account opening process and subsequent generation of Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN)

4. How PAN details and KYC details as recorded with his/her Bank are processed for online opening of the Individual Pension Account under NPS?

An individual opting to open the online Individual Pension Account using PAN details and KYC details as recorded with his/her Bank must have enabled netbanking facility from the bank where his/her account is held/maintained and the concerned Bank selected should also be empanel ed on the eNPS platform for performing the KYC verification.

An individual providing the PAN details will be required to compulsorily fill all the mandatory fields for completing the account opening process and subsequent generation of Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN)

The name provided in the online application form is validated with the PAN records. The bank and address details provided in the online application form is authenticated by the concerned bank selected by the applicant as per the records available with the Bank in respect of the applicant. In case of rejection of KYC by the selected Bank, applicant should contact the bank as the PRAN will be get immediately categorised as ‘temporarily frozen’ and the subscriber will not be allowed to undertake any further transactions.

5. What uploads are required to be made for online opening of the Individual Pension Account under NPS?

An individual opening the Individual Pension Account in eNPS platform is required to upload his/her scanned photograph and signature in *.jpeg/* .jpg format with file size ranging between 4kb-12kb.

Uploading of scanned photograph is optional for individuals opting to open the Individual Pension Account with Aadhaar details.

6. At what stage of the online process will I be able to know that my online application has been accepted and I have been allotted a Permanent Retirement Account Number?

An applicant on completion of providing online his/her personal details as selected with Aadhar or PAN and subsequently getting authenticated from Aadhaar or PAN will be provided with an unique Acknowledgement Number for identification and future references.

After the applicant fills in all the mandatory fields of the online application form and uploads his/her photograph (optional with Aadhaar) and signature, the applicant will be redirected for initiating payment of initial contribution through netbanking or debit/credit card.

An applicant who has opted to open his/her Individual Pension Account with Aadhaar will have the option to select the mode of payment (netbanking or debit card or credit card) for making the initial contribution.

An applicant who has opted to open the Individual Pension Account with PAN and KYC authentication by Bank will be required to make the payment of initial contribution though netbanking facility provided by the concerned bank selected in the online application form.

For all successful online payments the applicant will be provided an online receipt and the Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) generated thereafter. An SMS and email alert is also sent to the Subscriber.

7. How will I know whether my Banker has verified the KYC details?

On acceptance or rejection of applicant’s KYC by the selected Bank an SMS and emai I alert is sent to the Subscriber towards acceptance or rejection. In cases of rejection by the concerned Bank, the reasons of rejections are also communicated to the subscriber through SMS and email and the applicant should contact the bank immediately.

8. What are the charges for online opening of Individual Pension Account under NPS?

The online opening of Individual Pension Account with Aadhaar details is free of any charges.

An applicant opting for online opening of Individual Pension Account with PAN and KYC authentication by Bank will be charged an amount of Rs 125 (Rupees One Hundred Twenty Five Only) for KYC verification by the concerned bank selected by the applicant during the online account opening process.

9. What are the charges to be paid for making online contributions?

A subscriber contributing to his PRAN in the eNPS platform will be charged the following fees by the payment gateway services provider as permitted by NPS Trust:-

9. What should I do after completing the online account opening processes?

After completion of online account opening process, he/she should take a print of the online application form, paste his/her photograph (not stapled or clipped or signed across), put his/her signature in the box provided for in the printed application form and dispatch the documents to the following address within 90 days from the date of allotment of online PRAN:-

10. What will happen if I do not submit the documents within 90 days from the date on online PRAN allotment?

Non-submission of printed online application form along with photograph and signature within 90 days of allotment of online PRAN will render the PRAN to be categorised as `temporarily frozen’ and he/she will not be able to undertake any further transactions.

11. What is the minimum amount of contribution to be made for online opening of the Individual Pension Account under NPS?

The minimum amount of contribution to be made using netbanking or debit/credit card for online opening of the Individual Pension Account is Rs 500/- (Rupees Five Hundred Only). If applicant chooses to open Tier-II along with Tier-1 The minimum amount of contribution is Rs 1000/- (Rupees One Thousand Only).

12. What is the maximum amount or times that I can contribute to my PRAN in a month using eNPS?

There are no limits or restrictions for making contributions by subscribers to his/her PRAN using the eNPS platform.

13. Where and when will I receive the PRAN kit?

An individual completing the online account opening process and submitting the online printed application form along with photograph and signature will receive the PRAN kit at his/her communication address provided during the online registration process within 10 days from the date of receipt of completed documents at CRA.

14. When will the contribution paid online get reflected in my PRAN?

It normally takes 3-4 days for the contributions made online using eNPS being reflected in his/her PRAN.

15. Can I make changes in the application and in PRAN details online?

Subscribers desirous of changing/revising the detai Is provided i n the online application form will be able to amend the details online until the stage of initiating online payment towards initial contribution for PRAN generation is completed.

After allotment of online PRAN, subscriber desirous of changing/revising the PRAN details has to contact a registered Point of Presence and comply with the existing procedures of filling up the relevant forms and submitting the with relevant documents mentioned therein.

16. How can I make subsequent contributions to my PRAN?

All subscribers (excluding NPS Lite & Atal Pension Yojana) irrespective of their PRAN being generated through online (eNPS) or physical mode (PoP) can contribute to their PRAN (Tier I & Tier II) using eNPS platform through netbanking of empanelled banks or through credit / debit cards. Subscribers are required to quote the correct PRAN and authenticate it using the OTP received by the subscriber in his/her registered mobile while initiating the payment for contribution towards his/her PRAN.

The Dearness Allowance calculations as per the recommendations of the 6th Central Pay Commission come to an end; the method prescribed by the 7th Central Pay Commission comes into effect from Jan 2016 onward…!”

The 7th Central Pay Commission was appointed in order to evaluate the methods of calculating the salaries, incentives, benefits, pensions, retirement benefits, and Dearness Allowance of the Central Government employees and serving and retired personnel of the Indian defence forces, and suggest changes, if and when required. Four months have passed since the Central Pay Commission submitted its final report to the Centre.

The government at the centre has the discretion to accept, reject, or modify the recommendations made by the Central Pay Commission. It has constituted a high-level committee to look into the various suggestions in the report. The final decision on the implementation of the recommendations will be made based on the feedback from this empowered committee.

Meanwhile, the Central Government employees federations met with the high-level empowered committee to discuss various issues, including Minimum Wages and Fitment Factor, and to suggest required amendments in the report.

There is likely to be a delay in the publication of the notification containing the accepted recommendations by the 7th Pay Commission. Since the election Model Code of Conduct will be in place until the last week of May 2016, the Government acceptance notification is expected to be published in the first week of June. In that case, there are chances that the revised salaries will be issued from the month of June. Also, the arrears for the past five months are also likely to be released then.

Dearness Allowance is one of the much-anticipated topics among Central Government employees. In its report, the 7th Central Pay Commission had given a short explanation about Dearness Allowance.

The 6th Central Pay Commission suggested elaborate changes in the method of calculating Dearness Allowance. This time however, the 7th Central Pay Commission did not suggest any elaborate changes. It has suggested that the same process be continued.

We have presented a ready reckoner of the procedures that were followed when the 5th Central Pay Commission drew to a close and the 6th Central Pay Commission came into effect, which are very likely to be followed this time too.

The AICPIN points of only the month of January are available as of now. The AICPIN points for February will be released tomorrow.

You can come up with approximate AICPIN points for the remaining four months to calculate the approximate Dearness Allowance.

As of January 1, 2016, according to the Centre, the Dearness Allowance stood at 125 percent. An order of the Ministry of Finance to this effect will be released soon. In the event that the 7th Central Pay Commission recommendations come into effect from January 1, 2016 onwards, the salaries of the Central Government employees will be revised by adding 125 percent to their basic pay. The new Dearness Allowance hike will be issued from 01.07.2016 onwards.

For example, if the basic pay of an employee, as on 01.01.2016, is Rs.12,000 (Grade Pay 2800 + 9200), his salary revisions and Dearness Allowance hikes as per the 6th and 7th Central Pay Commission recommendations, are given below.

Employee’s Pay as on 1.1.2016 as per the recommendations of 6th CPCBasic Pay + 125% DA: 12000 + 15000 = 27000Employee’s Pay as on 1.1.2016 as per the recommendations of 7th CPCBasic Pay + No DA: 31000 + 0 = 31000

(No Dearness Allowance for the period between Jan to Jun 2016 and the first installment of additional DA will be given only on 1.7.2016)

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: Computer systems of post offices across the country have been hit by unprecedented year-end rush to open new public provident fund and senior citizen scheme accounts and deposit money in existing accounts, prompting the government to order contingency measures such as acceptance of deposits offline.

On Monday, the computer system connecting the country's 20,500 post offices — which reopened after a four-day holiday — witnessed a major slowdown, prompting the new set of instructions that speeded up processing. There were fresh glitches on Tuesday that inconvenienced depositors but officials said the problem was resolved by late afternoon. A fresh set of instructions on accepting reinvestment would be issued on Wednesday.

While there is always a year-end rush to claim tax benefits on investments, this time the problem is more acute due to the four-day holiday and the government's decision to lower interest rates on small saving schemes by more than a percentage point in some cases. With those putting money in Monthly Income Scheme, Senior Citizen Schemes or National Savings Certificate assured of locking in their investment at a higher rate for the next few years, the queues are longer this year.

Adding to the post office woes was the fast rollout of core banking platform across the country, which had been facing problems as it had not yet stabilized. The post office has been migrating all savings accounts on to the core banking system. The number of computerized post offices has increased to 12,000 in December 2015 from 2,000 at the end of December 2014. And in the last two-and-a-half months, it has grown to 20,000 from 12,000.

"We have allowed all post offices to accept deposits offline. This will free up a lot of capacity for withdrawals and reinvestment, which need to be checked from the system. We are trying to ensure that we are able to deliver service to everyone," said L N Sharma, India Post's deputy director general in charge of financial services. He added that any investor who faces a problem should contact the Superintendent through the post office as systems have been put in place to escalate the problem at the department of posts.

Customers in various states, including Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, complained of computer downtime in post offices. "It looks like the post office is also having some problem with reconciliation of their numbers. Several people have received communication asking them to check whether interest is being correctly credited into their accounts," said a small savings agent.

Some customers have complained that their names were inputted incorrectly resulting in reviving certificates with spelling mistakes. There were concerns that this could lead to problems while withdrawing funds a decade later. In Maharashtra, the Postmaster General at Pune said that the Finacle core banking system, set up by Infosys, was experiencing problems due to which members of public were facing difficulties in conducting their transactions.